1968 Conqueror of American Rock - Chapter 176



Only Noblemtl

176. I’d Do Anything For You (8)

“Ready, action!”

As Robert Smith shouted into the megaphone, the chorus of the song began to flow out of the large speakers. The sound pressure caused the sky to be filled with flowers instead of national flags, and the falling petals created a spectacular sight.

Under the direction of conductor Zubin Mehta, the 120-member orchestra began to move in unison, each instrumental section. The camera director, who was filming the scene from an aerial helicopter, seemed to be looking at a herd of buffalo on a vast plain, or a group of penguins in Antarctica.

As Kevin, dressed in a handsome tuxedo, and the world’s most beautiful bride, Stella, came out of the castle and waved to the guests, fireworks were launched from the castle walls. Colorful fireworks surrounded the castle like a folding screen. The guests cheered enthusiastically for the couple.

Robert Smith used dozens of cameras to capture the scene from different angles—more than most blockbuster films.

As the chorus passed, Sparkling Ripple’s two tall guitarists walked down the stage to play solos.

James Choi wore a white uniform with a gold badge, while Jake Miller wore a black uniform with a silver badge. The two stood on a grand piano, each holding a guitar.

James, dressed in white, held his guitar atop a black piano, while Jake, dressed in black, held his guitar atop a white piano.

The trumpeters lined up on both sides of the red carpet raised their heads and blew fanfares, and the two guitarists began to play twin melodies that exploded with the momentum of firecrackers.

Angela and Christine sat at the piano facing each other, uniting with the orchestra and supporting the guitar solo.

As the solo came to a close, Annie Kim signaled to the guests, and everyone joined in singing the chorus.

– I would do anything for you!

(I would do anything for you!)

-And I would do anything for you!

(And I will do anything for you!)

– Oh, I would do anything for you!

(Oh, really, I would do anything for you!)

Kevin Choi and Stella linked arms and began to march slowly in a blessing that seemed to be about to leave their castle.

Waaa …

Under the pretext of filming a music video, the couple was able to enjoy the luxury of having a wedding march several times, something that others only do once.

Although the song was already completed, the sound engineer recorded the shouts to add a sense of realism. It was director Robert Smith’s idea.

– And they lived happily together for a long time.

(And they lived happily ever after.)

Gerard Williams’ warm, deep voice flowed out over the orchestra’s hazy performance.

“Cut! Thank you all for your hard work. All filming is over. Please take some time for yourself now, and come back here in an hour. The chefs from Kings Hotel, who came from Las Vegas, are preparing a meal for you right here in the castle.”

Guests were thrilled by Robert Smith’s announcement.

It was absolutely ridiculous that chefs from all over the world would gather in one place at a luxury hotel in Las Vegas.

James Choi looked somewhere on the wall and saluted. A white-haired old man wearing a fancy suit and black sunglasses smiled happily as he raised his hand slightly from a distance with his bodyguards.

* * *

The filming ended safely, and soon after, staff in white uniforms began busily setting up outdoor tables and bringing out food and drinks.

The orchestra was reduced to about 40 members and played Romantic-era pieces suitable for the banquet hall. Director Zubin Mehta arranged for the members to take turns playing so that the party could be enjoyed.

Tables and chairs were set up, and the guests took their seats. Star chefs came up to the stage and introduced their main dishes one by one. The guests began to enjoy the luxurious cuisine that can be enjoyed at a luxury hotel.

As soon as filming was over, I ran straight up the wall.

“Gasp, gasp······ Mr. Chairman······.”

“No, what’s so urgent that you have to run like that, heh heh. Catch your breath, James.”

He took a moment to catch his breath and continued speaking.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.”

Actually, I was just invited to Kevin’s wedding, but the chairman came in person with his special chefs, staff, and even a refrigerated truck.

“Thanks to your brothers, KMTV will soon be able to broadcast to the central region. Compared to that contribution, this is a small thing. I heard that you are having a formal wedding in Korea, and I will take care of the honeymoon, so just tell Kevin where you want to go.”

“I really don’t know how to express my gratitude. Mr. Chairman, let’s go to the banquet hall together.”

“No, no. If I leave, the staff will be uncomfortable, so I should go back now. Let’s have a quiet time later.”

The chairman gave us a huge wedding gift and left leisurely with his bodyguards. I escorted him to his vehicle and returned to the banquet hall.

“Grandpa, here it is. I cut it up so it’s easy to eat, hehe.”

“Grandpa, meat is good, but you should eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.”

Annie and Angela were sitting at the same table as Mr. Gerard Williams.

“Hey, James. Come quickly and try it too. The texture of this meat is completely different. The moment you bite into it, the juices burst out and it just melts in your mouth, haha.”

It was really thanks to you guys that I was able to successfully complete the filming. I will be forever grateful.

While we were having such a pleasant time, two middle-aged men came to the table. The smile on Mr. Gerard’s face disappeared.

“······father.”

“Father? Are you Grandfather’s son?”

Angela poked Annie in the ribs and shook her head.

“What is going on here? If you’re telling me to sell my last name again······.”

“No, Father. We came to ask for forgiveness.”

Mr. Gerard looked startled as the unexpected words came out of his son’s mouth.

“Excuse me, Mr. William. Please take a seat and speak.”

I nodded to Annie and Angela, and they both stood up and gave me their seats.

“Then, we will leave. You rich people can talk among yourselves······.”

“No, everyone please sit down.”

At his words, we sat down again.

“This is my eldest son, Glenn William, and this is my second son, Austin William.”

Even without explaining, the eldest son was exactly like Mr. Gerard, and the younger son resembled his deceased mother.

“And Annie, Angela, and James here are my closest friends these days.”

He introduced us to his children as his friends. We greeted them.

“Okay. What do you want to say?”

They hesitated, watching us.

“These kids know everything, so just talk to them.”

“Father, I’m sorry. We thought that our surname was the reason for our mother’s death. We shouldn’t have done that, even though we were grown adults, not children, but when our mother died, we became children too. At that time, we just hated our surname so much and wished it would disappear······.”

After Glenn finished his confession, his younger brother Austin continued speaking.

“But as time went by, my brother and I realized how foolish we were. This is where our mother and father have their lifelong memories… No, our childhoods are still in the castle.”

In fact, inside the castle, there were pictures of Gerard’s wife and children hanging all over the place.

“Father, we were afraid that we would lose you too. In fact, when we took you to the hospital, your father······.”

Glenn hesitated as he looked at us to speak.

“It’s okay, Glenn. Just tell me the truth. You can trust them.”

What on earth are you talking about······.

He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and then continued.

“At that time, my father showed symptoms of schizophrenia. He continued to act like my mother. I was scared, so I went to a psychiatrist for counseling, and he said that if I didn’t deal with it early, it would be really hard. So I had no choice but to have him hospitalized.”

It was the first time I heard this story.

We weren’t the guardians, and Gerard never told us that.

“Everything Glenn said is true. I found out I was sick while receiving treatment at the hospital, but I wanted to see Helen no matter what. I didn’t want to admit that my wife was having hallucinations. That’s why I blamed my sons for nothing······.”

Glenn explained that his father had been seriously injured and almost killed because of the visions. Mr. Gerard admitted everything, and the two sons seemed a little surprised at their father’s easy admission.

“Glen, Austin. I really cherish the last name, but it’s not more important than yours. But, getting rid of the last name······.”

“No, Father. Those words will never come out of our mouths again. But promise me one thing.”

“······?”

“Please follow our advice on health issues. We are our father’s sons. At first, we hated the surname because of our mother’s death, but later it was to get rid of our father’s hallucinations.”

When I was writing ‘Jekyll & Hyde’, I had read a professional book on schizophrenia. At least Mr. Gerard never showed any symptoms of schizophrenia in front of us.

“I······ I’m sorry for interrupting. I’m not a doctor, but it seems like your father is almost better now.”

“How about that······.”

It was an unpleasant look. That was natural.

“I studied schizophrenia because of my work on the song. Hallucinations and auditory hallucinations are symptoms that appear when the person believes that the person is actually alive and exists. But my father missed his mother in heaven. For several months after we first met, what he told us never changed and was consistent.”

It must have been a long time since the two sons saw their father. They seemed to be filled with a mixture of surprise and joy.

“I, really, Father? Are you sure that Mother is no longer in sight?”

“Yes. I didn’t want to let you go, but we’ll meet in heaven soon anyway······. I promised Helen before I let her go. I’ll definitely protect the castle, and when we meet in heaven, we’ll definitely come back to play together······.”

“Father! What are you talking about? Father is still in good spirits! No matter what happens, we will protect the family name. Don’t worry!”

A scary-looking Glenn slammed both hands on the table and got up from his seat. His younger brother grabbed his brother’s arm and sat him down, trying to calm him down.

“Brother, it looks like your father’s energy has improved. People who say things like that usually live long lives.”

“Austin’s right. I met these kids and I wanted to live a little longer. I also had things to do, haha.”

Mr. Gerard looked up at the sky and said, “Honey, I’m sorry, but I’ll be a little late.”

A tear rolled down Mr. Gerard’s wide-eyed face and down his cheek.

He wiped his eyes with his hand and smiled faintly. Then he softly recited the last verse of ‘Enervalley’.

– My darling, my darling, my life and my bride······.

(My love, my love, my life, my bride······.)